News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-21
NOT THE FIRST STEAM WAGON.
One of Maine's Inventive Sons
Thinks he Can Drive his Cart a
Mile in u Minute.

''The rich can ride in chaises," and
they can ride in a steam wagon, too, II
they will come to Lewiston and essay
what the teeming brain of a remarkable
Lewiston inventor has attained, says q
local paper. In the first place 1T is
wagon. 1t IS built on the principle OF
grocery wagon. Some OF the extra
heavy grocery teams on the street might
have served for the basis OF the CON
trivance, except the inventor, Edwin f.
Field, desired that it be extra strong,
and SO he had the wheels and axles ana
cross-bars, etc., built q trifle heavier
than on the ordinary grocery wagon
Its shape is the same. Its wheels are
the same in size and shape. Its wagon
body is exactly the same as that OF the
ordinary delivery wagon, with IRON
bands. The boiler, which is upl1ght,
is on the rear axle. Power is applled
by cogged wheels to the Fear axle, TO
which the hind wheels are rigidly al
fixed, so that the movement of the ma,
chinery propels the wagon. The front
wheels are Independent OF machinery
and are simply steering gear. Inc en-
gine is double cylinder condenslng en-
gine, controlled by the link notion
uxactly as i'll locomotive.
1t can be reversed or stopped from tn9
drivers seat. Water is carried IN srlill
tank under the wagon bed. The engine
eXhausts into the boiler-the exhauS1
being easily controlled from the drivers
seat. The boiler is a five orse-power,
tested to 400 pounds pressure, and cap
able of carrying 300 pounds without the
slightest difficulty. The engines develop
four horse power with 100 pounds pres
sure, or II horse power with 300 pounds.
With hard coal, the boiler will make
no smoke or steam. The design OF, the
| builders is to conceal everything ana
they expect, when finished, that the con-
trivance will not be very odd IN ap-
pearance, and that it will not frlghten
horses any more than bicycle or astreet
sprinkler. Every portion of the ma
chinery is made with the view 10
strength. Various inventions on the
boiler make it specially valuable, while
every part of the engine has been de-
signed and built expressly for the pur-
pose, and is full of oddities and 1nven-
tions. The axles are steel and the
wheels are iron-hubbed. The hind
wheels are thirteen feet i'll diameter.
The water tank holds half barrel and
would suffice for a run of twenty-five
miles.
''Have you ever run it2" was asked of
Mr.. Field "Yes, was the reply. eve
have worked the engines and the wheels
but haven't tried it on the ground yet.
1t was a great success. The hind wheels
went in a perfect buzz. We estimated
it at 800 revolutions a minute; and as
the carriage Will advance about five feet
at revolution, we reckon that, making
due allowance, the wagon would have
been going considerably faster than
two minute clip. don'tpractically see
any limit to the attainment OF speed ex-
cept the courage of the driver"
Mr.. Field has about completed the
machine. A description does no sort vi
credit, and the public should seeit to
appreciate it. There is nosort Of doubt
but that the machine will go, and that
it can be steered and controlled. FROM
the wayside brook the tank can be fill
ed, and from tire coal locker the fires
of the boiler. Mr.. Field thinks that the
machine can go mile minute. He
will have the hind wheels drilled and
corrugated for teeth, provided there is
not friction enough; but he says that he
has no fear about the frictioA.